Democrats Try to Block Affordable Health Insurance Options

In Democrats’ commitment to prop up Obamacare, they have introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to block access to affordable insurance plans.

By exempting plans from Obamacare’s most burdensome regulations, short-term plans give Americans a much-needed alternative to the unaffordable coverage on the Obamacare exchanges.

According to the left-leaning Urban Institute, 4.3 million people will choose to buy these plans next year, of whom 1.7 million were previously uninsured.

Last week, Senate Democrats introduceda Congressional Review Act resolution to block the expansion of short-term health care coverage. Earlier this year, the Trump administration issued new rules to allow Americans access to these affordableshort-term health insurance plans. The resolution, introduced by Senator Tammy Baldwin and supported by 30 other Democratic senators, would rescind these rules. It could receive a floor vote by mid-September.

Increased Choice Means Increased Coverage

providing alternatives people want

Obamacare forces people to pay for health care services even if they do not want them and cannot afford them. Providing options, not a one-size-fits-all plan, will increase coverage. Obama-era restrictionson short-term plans, however, left people with little choice. Under rules issued by the prior administration, Americans could either enroll in Obamacare or take the risk of buying a short-term plan that only provided coverage for 90 days. The Trump administration rule provided an alternative by allowing short-term plans to be available again for up to one year – as they were prior to Obamacare’s passage. Insurers can now choose to provide the plans for a duration of up to 36 months.

Even the left-leaning Urban Institute agreesthis will make a big difference. The think tank estimates that 4.3 million Americans will choose to buy short-term coverage next year, of whom 1.7 million are now uninsured.

People want choice. Those who prefer to keep their Obamacare coverage can keep it. Americans who do not get federal subsidies to buy Obamacare coverage should be allowed to look elsewhere for coverage that suits their needs. The Trump administration had these people in mind when it used its regulatory authority to restore the option of short-term coverage.

While Democrats claim these plans are “junk” and are another attempt to “sabotage” access to health care, people are declining to enroll in Obamacare, forgoing coverage altogether or seeking reasonably priced plans elsewhere. The expansion of short-term coverage provides these Americans, overwhelmed by the exorbitant costs of Obamacare coverage, an alternative that suits their needs.

Letting americans choose

The Trump administration’s rule is set to to go into effect on October 2. Under the Congressional Review Act, Senator Baldwin’s resolution needs the support of 30 senators to get a floor vote.

The Trump administration’s deregulation of short-term coverage put Americans back in control of their health care. Republicans are delivering alternatives to Americans who have been trapped in the broken individual market. All the while, Democrats continue to try to prop up their failed health care law.